


Couldn't Be Worse (And Other Things You Know Aren't True)

by PikofthePok



Category: Epithet Erased (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Flashbacks, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Museum Arc bad end, Past minor character death, Sylvie Is Not Having A Good Time(tm), Sylvie needs a Got Danm Nap, T rating for language, aka: sylvie is a mundie now and has to deal with it, tags will be added as needed!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:28:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23289295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PikofthePok/pseuds/PikofthePok
Summary: Sylvie messed up. He would admit it, and it wasn't something that was easy to say. And of course, because of it, he found himself pulled into a spiral that just kept getting worse. Why, then, did they decide to dive in with him?Alt Title: Sylvie Learns to Trust.
Relationships: Sylvester "Sylvie" Ashling & Giovanni Potage, Sylvester "Sylvie" Ashling & Molly Blyndeff, Sylvester "Sylvie" Ashling & Molly Blyndeff & Giovanni Potage
Comments: 25
Kudos: 121





	1. The Start Of Something Pretty Terrible, Actually.

“Sylvie… Sylvie!”

Sylvie screwed his eyes shut. Someone was calling to him, but they sounded so... _distant._ Where… where even _was_ he? The more he tried to remember, the more his head began to swirl. Why did everything _hurt_ so much? He heard something to his left, almost like the clattering of wood, before something grabbed his shoulder. 

“Sylvie, wake up!”

The voice was louder now. Wait, that was Molly’s voice, wasn’t it? What was she doing here? Sylvie forced his eyes open, flinching a bit at the sudden flood of light. He was on the floor, the ceiling fans motionless above his head. Right. The museum. A hand reached over to brush the stray hairs from his face. Molly sat beside him, concern clear on her face. Sylvie squinted, his eyesight still blurry.

“... Molly?” 

Her immediate relief was interrupted as his body was wracked with a series of coughs. He was suddenly uncomfortably aware of how much his entire body _ached_. Molly, panicked, quickly helping him sit up. Unconsciously, he put an arm around her shoulder to support himself. It felt like someone had pushed him down a series of stairs. He flinched as a pang of pain flashed through his chest. Okay, so maybe worse. That was cool too.

“What… what happened?” He managed. The last thing he remembered was going off to stall for time, and there was a scuffle, and then Molly was there and--!

“Molly, are you all right!?” He blurted out, but he hissed as the sudden movement irritated his lungs again. 

“Me!? Sylvie, you’re seriously hurt!” Molly protested. “I- I didn’t know if you were okay after she…” Her voice grew quiet. “...after she took your epithet.” Sylvie fell silent. Instinctively, his hand clutched at his chest, the fabric of his hoodie crumpled between his fingers. His senses were still reeling, but even through the noise, there was something… wrong. Inscrutable, almost, but unmistakably _wrong._ It was almost like he was unfamiliar with his own body-- unsteady, uneasy… cold. 

Oh.

Then, there were footsteps. The two of them looked up quickly as a caped figure ran over, baseball bat in tow. He skidded to a stop beside them, pausing to catch his breath. Giovanni. Of course he was still here.

“I...” He huffed, hands on his knees. “I lost ‘em.” Sylvie froze. _What?_

“Wh… where did they go?” Molly pressed. Giovanni growled, shaking his head frustratedly. “I don’t know!” He said, tossing his hands in the air. 

“What do you mean you don’t know!?” Sylvie raised his voice suddenly.

“I mean _I don’t know!_ I went after ‘em, but they’re faster than they look!” Giovanni protested, beginning to pace frustratedly. “The big guy tossed up a barrier at the door, and by the time I found a way around, they just… _ARGH!_ ”

Sylvie watched in stunned silence as the Banzai Captain kicked aside a stray fragment of wood from the shattered crates around them. He wanted to be angry. He wanted to pretend that, somehow, that anger would make anything better, but… it wouldn’t. It wasn’t right, and he knew it. He bit back the raging emotions, threatening to overflow, and replaced it with… quiet. Taking in an unsteady breath, he shut his eyes and shoved it all back-- and in its place rose a practiced stillness. He wouldn’t acknowledge it now. Hopefully not ever.

The stillness remained even as Molly placed a hand on his shoulder, her eyes full of concern. He still hadn’t said anything, had he? 

“Sylvie, are you okay..?” She asked gently. Sylvie gritted his teeth. He... should’ve said something. He took a breath, hoping the words would come, but... What was there to say? He squeezed his eyes shut again. His head hurt. 

“BOSS!”

Oh good, what _now_? Six uniformed figures burst into the room, skidding to a stop not too far from the entrance. The tallest of the bunch had another on their shoulders piggyback style, unconscious. Giovanni stood up sharply, alarmed.

“We kept them off as long as we could, but that wizard cop’s like, _scary strong!_ ” The one with blue hair reported. 

“Yeah, a wizard cop’s way outta our pay grade.” Piped up another. Giovanni let out a huff, swinging his bat onto his shoulders.

“Don’t worry, my boys.” He announced, standing up straighter. “You’ve done enough. _I’ll_ take care of The Fuzz.” He glanced around, gauging the situation. His eyes quickly fell back to Molly and Sylvie as the former helped the latter shakily to his feet. He nodded. 

“Flamethrower! Car Crash! You take care of these two and get them to the getaway car!” He turned towards the entrance.

“B-but Boss..!” The tall blaster began, but Giovanni quickly shushed him.

“Worry not, dear minion! They don’t call me the Greatest Banzai Captain of All for nothing!” He crowed.

“Does anyone _really_ call you that?” Sylvie mumbled, still trying to find his balance on his own two feet. Giovanni just laughed, a sly grin spreading across his face.

“They will.” He swung his bat into position. “Now go, my boys! I’ll catch up with you later.” The blasters shared a quick look, then nodded.

“Right away, Boss!” They chanted. Quickly, two Blasters rushed to the two’s side, swiftly sweeping them off their feet. Sylvie yelped, startled at the sudden movement.

“ _Hey!_ Do I _not_ get a say in this!?” He protested. The Banzai Blaster-- with curly brown hair and a banged up uniform-- shook his head.

“Sorry dude, Boss’ orders. We gotta go!” He said. Sylvie bit back a retort, grumbling as his assigned blaster began to catch up with the others through the exit. He was too tired to come up with anything as biting as he felt. Now, with the newfound quiet of the museum and the droning footsteps, he felt… more exhausted than he thought. He probably used up all his stamina in the fight against that woman. Great help _he_ ended up being. He squeezed his eyes shut again.

This couldn’t have possibly gone worse. Every chance he had to mess up, he did. And now he was practically getting _kidnapped._ His head was pounding, and at this point he couldn’t tell if it was because of his earlier screw up or the thoughts racing around his periphery. He just needed everything to stop, just for a few minutes. Just some time to collect himself, to figure out what to do next, that was it. That was it. And, even if he didn’t intend it, the quiet came as he drifted out of consciousness once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey howdy everyone, n thanks for readin'! Welcome to probably the first multichaptered fic I think I've ever written! So buckle up and sit down, bc we're goin for a ride. ᕕ(•ω•)ᕗ


	2. And Away We Go.

Molly clutched onto the hem of the Banzai Blaster’s scarf. The museum was so much _bigger_ than she remembered. Or well, of course it would feel that way when they were running from the police. Normally, she would’ve felt some sort of concern about even _thinking_ that sentence, but after today, it might as well happen. She was going to need a serious nap once she got home.

...If she ever got back. Now that she thought about it… How long was she going to be gone? What about her dad? Her sister? Who was going to run the store when she was gone?

“ _Door!_ ”

There was a loud _CLUNK_ as the leading blaster barreled into the exit door, stumbling over themself to hold it open.

“Go go go!” They hissed, waving their arms frantically, and in an instant… they were outside. The air was crisp against Molly’s face as they ran through the back alley, the faint sound of voices echoed through the air. The group swerved around the corner, skidding to a stop at the intersection.

“Uh. Fuck. Which way was the van?” One of the Blasters stammered.

“ _Hey!_ There are _kids here_ dude, watch your mouth!” Flamethrower snapped.

“Sh-- shoot, sorry--”

“Uh…! I think this one fell asleep.”

“ _Argh, j-just..! Gimme a sec to think!_ ” 

Asleep? Was Sylvie…?

“I-is Sylvie okay…?” Molly peeped. The Blasters turned towards Car Crash. A pause, and then...

“Yeah, he’s breathing.” He sighed. “What even _happened_ to you guys?” Molly frowned. How was she going to start? Should she at all? Something in her gut told her that she shouldn’t answer. Flamethrower seemed to sense her discomfort and shook his head.

“Look. We can talk about it later. Uh,” He squeezed his eyes shut. “Left! We went left! C’mon!” And without a word, they were off again. 

The group skidded around the corner, not a single one tripping over another as they went with an almost controlled sort of chaos. Tucked away neatly out of sight was a banged-up looking van, just big enough to hold the squad of Blasters. But with two extra..?

“Car Crash, you’re in the back with the kids!” Flamethrower barked out, coming to a halt beside the van. “Crusher, Spike, you watch Ben! I’ve got shotgun, Dark Star’s on driving duty,” As he spoke, he quickly placed Molly down in the back seat, pointing a finger in her direction. “And you! Don’t forget your seat belt. Safety is important. Let’s move, everyone!” 

She watched as the Blasters put the plan into action, everyone scrambling into place with the clatter of boots and closed doors. Beside her, Car Crash lay Sylvie down on the seats next to her, careful not to jostle him too badly as he shifted himself into a sitting position. Just as he closed the door behind him, the engine thrummed to life with a rattling hum. There was a dull click as Dark Star shifted gear, and then… they took off.

...

It was quiet, for a while. Maybe, at first, it was trepidation as they retreated from the museum, hoping with held breaths that they wouldn’t be noticed. Maybe then it was the disquiet of the presence of people you didn’t know, certainly not something restricted to just Molly. But then, it was simply… quiet. The rumble of the wheels against pavement, the cars passing by, the slightly cracked windows. Just quiet. 

She watched the Blasters carefully-- she didn’t distrust them. At least, not exactly. But in a situation like this, well… she couldn’t be too careful. None of them spoke, but she could see their exchanged glances, brushed off as quickly as they started. They were nervous. They’d never done this before, had they? Even Flamethrower, who seemed to take charge the moment he was needed, seemed out of his depth. And well… Molly would be lying if she said she didn’t feel the same.

“I’m…” Spike spoke up. “...worried about Boss.”

There was a moment when Molly thought that no one would respond. The van pulled up to a stop light, and the hush returned. There was a pause, then… the van was full of quiet murmurs of agreement. 

“I’m worried too,” Dark Star said. “But he gave us an order, so it’s up to us to follow it.”

There was no verbal response, but it was almost as if the Blasters had fallen into a silent agreement. Ahead of them, the light turned green again, and the van began moving once more. From the looks of it, they were heading farther from the crowded lights of the city and into a more wooded area. Molly had been around the area maybe once or twice for the occasional nature walk, but there wasn’t much in terms of buildings. Where were they going…?

“So uh,” Car Crash spoke up. “Are these two… cool? Or are they hostages?”

“Erm… I don’t know.” Spike said. “The girl just seemed to be there when we got there. She seemed to care about Boss at least a little when we got captured, though.” She turned in her seat, facing towards Molly as much as her seat belt would allow. “Well, kid? Are you a narc?”

“Oh, uh, n-nope,” Molly said, holding up her hands. “I won’t tell. Actually, I think I’m _technically_ a Banzai Blaster now…? Gio-- uh, Boss-- gave me a nickname when we teamed up!” This seemed to spark some interest with the Blasters, pushing them out of their silence.

“Woah, really?”

“Already, huh?”

“Well, come on! Spill!”

“Okay, okay, but only because you’re all cool.” Molly said. “I’m… Bear Trap.” Immediately, the Blasters began chattering quietly with approval. She straightened up at the positive attention, smiling quietly. They didn’t seem too bad, now that she was getting to know them. Maybe they could be friends?

“What about, uh, him?” Car Crash asked, motioning towards Sylvie. “I didn’t see him when we got here.”

Molly tilted her head. “Oh, Sylvie’s uh… not a Blaster.” He would’ve even hated the thought. “He’s cool though! He helped us out, too.” Even if he was a bit standoffish when they first met, she could tell that he meant well. Her expression softened. ...She was still worried about him. From here, it looked like he was just sleeping peacefully, but she couldn’t help worrying. From the looks of it, whatever happened when he branched off went… really badly. And she wasn’t sure how they were going to fix it. Molly clenched the hem of her skirt. She just wished she could’ve done something to stop it. _Was_ there anything she could’ve done? Still, she couldn’t ignore the quiet guilt building in her stomach.

“Hey.”

Molly looked up quickly as Car Crash waved gently in her direction.

“Don’t worry, it’ll be okay.” He said, giving her a small grin. “I’m sure he’ll be fine.” She paused, looking at him intently, then… her gaze softened, returning the smile.

“Yeah, I… I hope so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 babey, we're goin strong! Hope you're ready for POV swaps, because oh boy are we gonna be doing this a lot! Also, expect to hear more from the Blasters, bc... I care them, :'3c


	3. Rest and "Relaxation"

A quiet hum filled the air. A fan, a radiator, perhaps? The droning filled the room, a comforting noise that helped keep anxiety at bay. Sylvie had taken use of things like that when he’d had a particularly bad day. Quiet chatter littered the room, impossible to make out with distance. Or… were they simply talking in a hushed tone? He took a deep breath. He didn’t remember falling asleep. He… he didn’t remember going home, either. Why  _ was _ there talking? He didn’t recognize those voices. He opened his eyes. 

He was lying on… a couch, futon maybe. It was battered and covered with patches, but surprisingly comfortable. There was a blanket over his body, about as well-loved as the couch was. A fan hung overhead, spinning lazily as the chatter continued around him. It was almost like a little cabin of sorts, cozy in its own way. But… where was he? He pulled himself into an upright position, flinching as a bit of pain flashed through his body. Of course. Now he remembered. He took a slow breath. Not as bad as it was earlier, but… 

“Sylvie! You’re awake!” 

Sylvie flinched as a pair of arms wrapped themself around his shoulders. He must’ve missed Molly sitting beside him, as she was now burying her face in his shoulder. 

“Huff-- Yep, I’m up, I’m up.” He pat her shoulder in a motion that he hoped was consoling. “C-careful, I’m uh,” 

“Oh, right, sorry Sylvie!” Molly said quickly, letting him go gently. He shifted himself into a more comfortable position, cross-legged on the couch. “How are you feeling?” She asked.

“Admittedly? Not great. Could be a lot worse though, I guess.” Sylvie sighed, crossing his arms. “Where… are we?”

“Oh! The boys said this is their ‘Safe House,’ for when they need to lie low for a while.” Molly chimed, as if she didn’t see any problem with being in a  _ hideout _ for  _ known criminals. _ Sylvie managed to keep the contempt off his face. Mostly. “I... see.”

“Oh, hey, you’re up! What’s up, Lil’ Dude?” called a voice from across the room. Three blasters were seated at a table in the corner, seemingly just chattering amongst themselves. The purple-haired blaster, now helmetless, waved his hand in their direction with a grin. Sylvie narrowed his eyes.

“Don’t call me that.” He retorted. The Blaster raised his eyebrows, sharing a quick glance with the other two. Quiet. “Uh. All right. If ya say so.” He said with a tilt of his head, and he returned to his conversation. Sylvie pulled his knees to his chest as Molly set a hand on his shoulder. How could they think they could be  _ friendly _ like that, just out of the gate? 

“C’mon, Sylvie, try to relax a little.” Molly said softly.

“How?” Sylvie argued. He opened his mouth to continue again and-- he glanced back towards the blasters in the corner-- and he quieted his voice. “How are you so comfortable being around these… these  _ criminals? _ ” 

“They’re not that bad!” Molly insisted. “They’re really nice, actually! Besides…” Her face softened, but she quieted her voice too. “I don’t think they could hurt anyone even if they tried.” Sylvie put a hand to his chin. Now that he thought about it… she was right. If they were  _ really _ trying to make this a hostage situation, they would have been restrained somehow, or at least under careful watch. They didn’t even take into account their e-- ...From the looks of it, the Blasters seemed more focused on their conversation than on their whereabouts. Not to mention that the door was within dashing distance. 

“Well… maybe, but…” He fell quiet. Molly gave him a small smile.

“I know you’re worried, Sylvie, but we’re just waiting for Boss to get back,” She said, shifting into a cross-legged position as well. “Then we can figure out what to do next.”

“All right...” He sighed. “Do you really have to call him that?”

“No, but it’s fun!” She giggled. Sylvie let out a noncommittal hum, turning off to gauge his surroundings once more. The couch was set against the wall by the door and beneath a window, an old-looking TV in front of it on a wooden stand. Across the room on the opposite side was the table the Blasters sat at, large enough to seat six if they were neat about it. Behind that was a small kitchen, separated by a counter low enough to peek over from a sitting position. It was rather homely for what it was, he admitted. A short hallway beside that branched off into a few other rooms-- probably bedrooms or storage rooms, if he had to wage a guess. The walls were littered with paintings of… varying quality. Frankly, it looked… just like a house would. 

The Blasters at the table burst out into laughter, one lightly punching the shoulder of another. It was like they weren’t even worried that they’d just come back from committing a crime. To be honest, they didn’t even act like “minions” would. They didn’t even act like  _ coworkers. _ They were more like… close friends, almost. Something stirred in Sylvie’s chest, but he quickly shoved it away. He… didn’t have time to address that. He rubbed the hem of his coat, feeling the stitches between his thumbs. His usual spot was now rather frayed; he’d have to repair that later. With a sigh, he trained his eyes to the spot on the floorboards in front of him. He hated waiting. He began quietly thumping his heel against the floor, focusing on the repetitive rhythm. He… he had to do  _ something.  _ He couldn’t just sit here doing nothing. 

Sylvie pushed the blanket off his body, carefully getting onto his feet. Molly looked up with alarm and held out a hand, but he shook his head. He didn’t need help standing up, he was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. He paused a moment, almost anticipating something, then… let out a breath. Right. He glanced around the room for a moment before settling on a small table against the wall. That would have to do for now. He walked over, investigating the handful of objects on it. 

A small potted succulent sat in a painted pot beside a picture frame. Tilting his head, Sylvie picked up the frame. In it was a photo of Giovanni and who he assumed to be the other Blasters in his squad out of uniform, arms intertwined and smiling in front of a movie theater. He raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t thought of it before, but now it seemed obvious. Of course they would have lives outside of the Banzai Blasters. He wasn’t sure why he was so surprised by the notion. 

“Hey, dude, what’cha got there?”

Sylvie turned with a start as a voice came from behind him, startlingly close. The Blaster with brown hair from earlier-- Car Crash, he was guessing-- had made his way over to him. He let out a breath and placed the picture frame back down in its place, quietly thankful he hadn’t managed to drop it.

“Oh, sorry ‘bout that. Didn’t know you were so deep in focus there.” Car Crash said.

“No, you just… surprised me, is all.” Sylvie mumbled, putting his hands in his pockets. “I... guess I should’ve asked before I messed with this stuff.”

“Don’t worry about it, it’s cool!” Car Crash said with a smile. “Don’t be afraid to ask me for anything. You’re guests, after all.” 

Sylvie blinked. ...Guests. He stayed quiet, staring at the picture on the table. The Blaster seemed to gather that he needed time alone, at least, and gave him an awkward thumbs up before heading off towards the kitchen. They… they really weren’t very threatening at all, were they? They must’ve been some sort of outlier. He didn’t even  _ know  _ them, but they were being so… kind. Why? Did they have something to gain from this? Sylvie shook his head. He hated waiting for answers. He hated  _ waiting. _ What was taking Giovanni so long? How… how long had it been? He didn’t know. Did Giovanni get arrested? What then?  _ How long was he going to be stuck here? _

“Sylvie…”

Sylvie yelped as something tugged on his sleeve. He blinked, eyes flickering around the room before he remembered. Right. He was… still here. Molly had walked over from her spot on the couch, a hand on the sleeve of his coat. She looked worried.

“S-sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. You were doing.. the thing again.” She said, her head tilted gently.

“No, no, it’s fine, I just…” Sylvie ran a hand through his hair, probably messing it up further than it already was. “I… the thing?”

“Yeah. You do it when you zone out, sometimes. You stop moving and stare for a long time. Are you okay?” She said, turning to face the items on the table as well. Her eyes glanced about its contents, but he had a feeling that she wasn’t paying much attention to it. 

“Oh. I guess I… didn’t notice I did that.” He said, looking off as well. “I’m…” He trailed off. He was fine, really. It wasn’t anything he couldn’t deal with. In fact, he’d probably dealt with worse! After all, he just lost a battle, got crushed by an air vent, had a part of his soul ripped from his body…

…

“I did it again, didn’t I?” He sighed, a tired grin tugging at the edge of his mouth. Molly gave him a sympathetic smile, linking an arm around his.

“Come on, let’s go find something to eat.” She said, turning towards the kitchen. Yeah, that… that wouldn’t be too bad. He probably needed it anyway, his exhaustion was returning with a vengeance even despite how long he was asleep. He nodded, not bothering to try to give a verbal response, and Molly’s expression turned to relief as he tagged along. He just needed a distraction. The last thing he needed right now was another spiral. But there was only so much they could do at the moment.

...He hoped Giovanni would get back soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3, give it up for chapter 3..!! We're just gettin' started! Tysm for all the nice comments on the last chapter, btw!! I'm glad yall like how its goin! :D It really helps with the ol' motivation!! Until next time, gamers!


	4. Might As Well Happen

It takes two hours of waiting before anything happens. Sylvie had begun his umpteenth bout of pacing about the room, Molly drifting off on the couch quietly before a series of knocks snapped them out of their haze. It was rhythmic and quick, but undoubtedly a knock. The Blasters all perked up, a few scrambling to their feet and rushing to the door at once. Sylvie watched as they bickered about who would open it. If he had to guess, they probably had some sort of coded knock. Would make sense for a supposed hideout. There was a solid ten seconds of arguing before another Blaster came from behind and pulled it open. In an instant, Giovanni stumbled into the little cabin, looking frazzled and… a little singed? But after a moment to catch his breath, he jumped upright, a proud grin on his face.

“What’d I tell ya, Boys!? The Great Giovanni Potage has done it again!” He crowed. Molly perked up.

“Giovanni!” She cheered. Hopping up from the couch, Molly ran towards the Banzai Captain and tossed her arms around his neck in a bear hug. Giovanni stumbled for a moment, but laughed and swung her around, holding her close. 

“That’s right, gaze in awe! Your all-powerful Captain has thwarted the Sweet Jazz Police Force once more!!” Giovanni cackled. Immediately, the Blasters began to crowd around them, cheering and laughing and asking questions. “Woah, woah, one at a time everyone! I have time to respond to all of you!” He said, waving his free hand for quiet as he set Molly back down next to him.

“That’s so cool, Boss! How did you do it!?” Piped up the blue-haired Blaster.

“Well, my Minion, I am  _ highly skilled _ in sneakery, of course! Myeheh!” He posed. “Those bozos didn’t even stand a  _ chance _ !  _ Now  _ they’ll know not to mess with the  _ Banzai Blasters! _ ” And once more, the Blasters fell into a chorus of cheers and compliments. Sylvie groaned quietly. Looked like he was just as showy in private as he was in public. Whatever. Hopefully it wouldn’t be his problem for much longer. 

“Whup, hold on. Nerd Check.”

Sylvie looked up as Giovanni broke off from the group of Blasters and started walking towards him. Great, here we go. 

“All right, what’s the deal over here? You all right?” Giovanni said with a tilt of his head. “You wiped out  _ pretty bad  _ back there.” 

Sylvie narrowed his eyes. “I hadn’t noticed.” He growled, arms crossed. “How I’m doing is none of your business.”

Giovanni frowned. “Jeez, kid, is it  _ that hard  _ to believe I’m worried about ya?” Sylvie shot him a bitter look, and Giovanni quickly held up his hands. “All right, all right, hint taken.” He said. He leaned back onto his heels and raised an eyebrow, watching as Molly rejoined them.

“Is everything okay over here?” Molly asked. Giovanni looked to Sylvie. He met his gaze sharply, but after a moment of silent deliberation… 

“Yeah.” Sylvie said, looking away. “It’s fine.” While he pointedly refused to look at the others, he could feel them looking at him. He didn’t need their concern, they didn’t need to worry about it. He didn’t  _ want _ them to worry about it. It wasn’t their problem to fix. There was a moment of quiet, then…

“..So uh, Boss,” Molly ventured. “What are we gonna do now?”

“Huh? Oh! Well, we’re gonna track down that lady, of course!” Giovanni scoffed. “ _ No one  _ messes with  _ my boys  _ and gets away with it!” He crossed his arms, scowling at just the thought. 

“Yeah, that’s cool and all, but did you  _ really  _ have to drag me into all this too?” Sylvie said. As much as he wanted to go home, he couldn’t shake the sense of dread hanging over him. What was he going to do, just keep going like nothing happened? What was he  _ supposed  _ to do? It wasn’t like there was a guide on what to do when you suddenly find yourself becoming a mundie.  _ Especially  _ when his epithet was so closely tied to his work. Honestly, he could probably start with a week-long nap…

“Wh- well… of course we did!” Giovanni stammered, almost as if he were caught off guard by the very notion. “This is about you too, remember? How are we gonna get your epithet back if you’re not here?” Sylvie blinked.

“I… wait, what?” He said, looking up at Giovanni. “I didn’t think… I didn’t think you cared. I didn’t even think you  _ liked  _ me.” Giovanni rolled his eyes, ruffling Sylvie’s hair in spite of his squawks of protest.

“C’mon, man, I’m not a  _ monster. _ ” He laughed. “You might be a nerd, but if Bear Trap thinks you’re cool, then you can stay. Consider yourself a Blaster by Proxy!” Sylvie paused. That… sounded about right. Even still, he found himself feeling… surprised, somehow. It never occurred to him that they would even  _ want  _ to help him. He gave a long look at Giovanni, then...

“...Yeah, I’m still gonna pass on the whole Banzai Blaster thing.” Sylvie said, raising an eyebrow.

“Mmm, no you’re not. You are now one of my boys. I’m starting on your uniform tomorrow.” Giovanni replied smugly.

“Absolutely not. You couldn’t get me to wear that if you bribed me. Yellow is  _ not  _ my color.”

“You’re wearing yellow right now.”

“It’s  _ marigold. _ ”

“Pfft, you couldn’t have said something nerdier if you tried.” Giovanni laughed, spinning on his heels. “Now c’mon, we’re about to have a Banzai meeting! Gotta figure out our plan of attack, y’know.”

“You? Planning? Huh.” Sylvie remarked. Giovanni stuck his tongue out, not stopping from his course to the table. Already, the Blasters were scrambling over to join the meeting, each one picking their spot with some sort of intent. Sylvie paused, crossing his arms as he watched the Blasters chatter in preparation. So this was his life, now. Congregating with juvenile criminals. He sighed. Why was he not surprised?

“Are you okay, Sylvie?” Molly asked, nudging him with her elbow. His eyes flicked from her to the Blasters, contemplating. Then, he sighed.

“Yeah, I guess.” He said. 

“I’m sure it won’t be too bad.” She said. “C’mon, I can introduce you to everyone!” Motioning for him to follow, she trotted over to join the others. Sylvie hesitated. Not too bad. He doubted that was true. But what other choice did he have? Once more, he gave a tired sigh, then began to follow her.

“Yeah. I’m coming.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the midst of Animal Crossing Lockdown(tm) emerges another chapter! Thanks for readin', n happy travels!


	5. Still Not Gonna Pay That Membership Fee.

“... and before anyone knew what was happenin’, Ben ran out ‘n dodged like all of their bullets! It was insane!” Spike exclaimed, an excited arm wrapped around the smaller Blaster’s shoulder. Ben rubbed the back of his head with an anxious chuckle. “C-c’mon, it wasn’t that cool, Spike… B-besides, I got knocked out like, right after...”

Sylvie watched as the Blasters chattered between each other. He and Molly were standing just to the left of the meeting table-- there wasn’t quite enough room to fit two more guests. In all honesty, it barely looked like it could fit the Blasters even if it _were_ just them. He didn’t mind standing much, it was much better than having to switch with someone else and deal with staring or, even worse, _small talk._

“Aw, knock it off, Ben!” Flamethrower piped up, giving Ben’s shoulder an encouraging _whap!_ “You’re half the reason we even made it outta that one! Give yourself some credit, man!” Ben looked downright honored-- even as he rubbed his now-sore shoulder. 

Sylvie tucked his hands into his pockets. This really wasn’t turning out to be much of a meeting. It was more like a bunch of middle schoolers left to their devices while the teacher left the room. Though, he couldn’t say he wasn’t at least listening to their idle chatter. It was probably rude to eavesdrop, but well, he’d been unwillingly recruited into a criminal group. He could have this one thing. He’d already pieced together a bit of their group dynamic. 

Ben seemed to be the least experienced of the group, judging from his air of uncertainty, not to mention his lack of a nickname. Spike seemed to be the loudest of the group, but Flamethrower was probably the most well respected, besides Giovanni. Which brought up something else: all of the Blasters seemed to completely trust (and maybe even look up to) Giovanni. They each showed it differently, but they all listened intently as he spoke, the barrier between ranks almost nonexistent between them.

“Aw man! Ya really did all that, Ben? I’m impressed!” Giovanni said. Spike gave one of her signature toothy grins, hugging the still-embarrassed Ben a bit closer. Sylvie huffed. What was it that they saw in him? Even Molly seemed to like him, and she’d known him for all of a few hours. It just didn’t add up. 

“So, Boss, what’d ya wanna tell us about?” Dark Star piped up, his chair tipped back leisurely. Oh. He’d almost forgotten. Giovanni blinked. “Oh, right! Of course!” He cleared his throat, standing up a bit straighter. 

“ATTENTION MINIONS!” 

Immediately, the chatter at the table fell into silence. 

“As you all can see, we have some recent recruits to our squad!” Giovanni announced. “As such, I would like to introduce: Bear Trap and Nerdlord!” He motioned with both of his arms to the smaller Blasters with a flourish. One of the Boys held back a snicker as Sylvie groaned.

“It’s _Dr. Sylvester Ashling._ ” He said, adjusting his glasses. “And I am _not_ a Banzai Blaster.”

“Uhh, of course you are.” Giovanni scoffed. “I mean, you’re already here, aren’t you? Besides, you’ve practically already got a Banzai Name!”

“Wh-- You are _not_ calling me Nerdlord!” Sylvie said incredulously. Giovanni chuckled.

“Keep it up, and I just might.” He said, sticking his tongue out. 

“Well, I usually stick to ‘Sylvie.’” Molly interrupted, giving the boy a nudge. “Is that okay to call you?” Sylvie paused, almost as if thinking it over, eyes flicking between Giovanni and Molly. After a moment, he sighed.

“Yeah, sure.” He said, crossing his arms. It was better than nothing. Giovanni smiled smugly.

“Now, where was I…?” he mumbled, a hand on his chin thoughtfully. “Right! As you can tell, our last heist went…” He paused. “...a bit rockier than I thought it would.” Yeah, that was one way to put it. “ _But_ , now we have a new objective! So, here’s the deal.” 

“Remember the lady with the weird eyes? Yeah, turns out she was also trying to rob the museum. And also she’s apparently really… really strong. She was looking for this weird… necklace thing, or something? The Arson-- Arsenic…?”

“Arsene.” Sylvie corrected.

“That. Amulet.” Giovanni continued. “The point is, she got away during the crossfire, and now our job is to find her and get that necklace back!” He pointed vaguely into the middle distance, posing confidently. 

“‘The lady with the weird eyes?’” Car Crash said confusedly. “Y’mean that museum guard lady?”

“Her name was Mera.” Molly chimed in. “Or uh, that’s what Mr. Barrier said.”

“Oh, I remember Mr. Barrier!” Ben said. There were a few murmurs and nods of agreement. 

“I’m all for the whole payback thing, but…” Dark Star frowned. “She was kinda… scary? Like, why her _specifically?_ ”

“ _Because,_ that necklace can _steal people’s epithets!_ And she still has it!” Giovanni said. “And his epithet along with it!”

And instantly, Sylvie was reminded that he had anxiety. All of the Blasters turned towards him. He froze, eyes flicking between each of them nervously. Were they searching for something to say? Like, oh yeah, sorry about your epithet, kid, that’s rough buddy! Honestly, he would almost prefer if they said nothing at all. Honestly, he would _prefer_ if he just woke up like none of this ever happened, like he never had to mess up so badly and have to run to a bunch of _criminals_ for _help,_ what was he _thinking--_

“All right.” Flamethrower said. “We’re in.” Sylvie blinked. That… was it? The Blasters began murmuring in agreement as Giovanni grinned proudly at the head of the table. Beside him, Molly gave him a thumbs-up. No questions, no snide comments, just… action. Sylvie stood in stunned silence as the Blasters started chattering excitedly. Maybe… maybe they _could_ think of something.

“Do we know where they went?” Flamethrower continued. “Any information at all?” Giovanni opened his mouth to respond, but paused. “Er, well…” He put a hand to his chin. “No. Actually, we don’t know much of anything.” Sylvie placed his head in his hands. “Well, that just means we’ll have to improvise!” Nevermind, this was going to be a disaster.

“Oh, oh, I got it! Just gimme a description and I can @ the group chat.” Spike chimed in, pulling out her phone. “Oh, well… the lady wasss small. And blue? And she had like, these weird eyes, they were like, kinda creepy, honestly, and-- wait.” Giovanni cut himself off. “We have a group chat!?” 

“Well, yeah! A lotta the other Blasters hang out there and I… hang on, you weren’t invited?” Spike frowned. “Then who’s the one with your face as their icon?” Behind her, Crusher made a face.

“No I wasn’t invited! I--” Giovanni complained, but he quickly shook his head. “W-we can talk about that later! Basically, she was small with blue hair and weird looking eyes and--”

Sylvie let out a breath while the Blasters exchanged information. As glad as he was that the idea went off without a hitch, was this really what he was relying on? A handful of teenage criminals? Hell, he was pretty sure that one of them wasn’t much older than he was. Checking that no one was paying him much attention, he leaned towards Molly.

“Hey, Molly.” He said, keeping his voice low. “Are… are you sure about this?”

Molly tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

“I mean… as much as I…” Sylvie paused, picking his words carefully. “...appreciate their enthusiasm, do you really think they’ll be able to help? Enthusiasm can only get you so far, and if it comes down to it...” He frowned. “I-I don’t know.” Molly gave him a reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry, Sylvie. Their hearts are in the right place!” She said. “Besides, they’re a lot stronger than you think. Even if they’re a little…”

“Incompetent?” Sylvie said, raising an eyebrow as he watched the Blasters clamber over one another to try to see Spike’s phone all at once.

“Messy.” Molly corrected. “I trust them. I think it’ll be okay.” 

“Aaaand done!” The two looked up as Spike gave a thumbs up to the rest of the group. “If anyone spots anything, I’ll be the first to know!”

“All right! Nice goin’, Spike!” Dark Star cheered. He held up a hand for a high five, and Spike took it without missing a beat.

“Okay, that’s great, but what _exactly_ is our next course of action?” Sylvie spoke up. The Blasters shared a look. ...They hadn’t thought about that at all, had they?

“I guess all that we can do now is watch and wait.” Car Crash said. Sylvie’s expression soured. 

“Great…” He was afraid they’d say that. More waiting. Who _knows_ what could happen in the time they were looking. Hell, who was to tell if they’d find them at all? “If we’re gonna be waiting, then can I go home at least? I probably have _so_ much stuff to sort out...” 

“ _Actually!_ ” Giovanni interrupted quickly. “Considering that you are a new Banzai Blaster, it’s standard protocol that you spend the night in the Super Secret Hideout! It’s kind of a Banzai Right of Passage.” Sylvie made a face.

“Okay, _first of all,_ ” Sylvie chuckled, “I'm _still_ not a Banzai Blaster. And there’s no way I’m doing that.”

“C’mon, Four-Eyes--”

“Still not my name.”

“--it’s the rules!” 

“I don’t remember that part of the rulebook…” Car Crash mumbled, but Giovanni gave him a quick prod with his elbow. “ _Oh right, that part!_ ” Sylvie raised an eyebrow, unconvinced.

“It _is_ probably a bit late to be going somewhere…” Molly said, glancing out the window to the darkness outside. “ _I’ll_ be sticking around, at least.”

“You are?” Giovanni shook his head. “I mean-- of course! You’re new too! Standard procedure.”

...Okay, so that was all lies. But at this point, he was far too tired to argue any more. He wasn’t even sure what time it was anymore. It probably wasn’t the worst that could’ve happened, anyway. 

“Y’know what? If it means you’ll stop pestering me, then… fine.” Sylvie sighed. 

“Great!” Giovanni said with a snap of his fingers. “There’s a guest room at the end of the hall.”

“Whatever.”

“I should probably stay the night, too.” Ben piped up. “I've gotta tell Mom I’ll be out, though…”

“Oh, shoot, me too.” Giovanni said quickly. “Can I borrow your phone, mine’s a little… fried.”

The Blasters started chattering once again, and Sylvie watched on exhaustedly. It certainly wasn’t the _worst_ outcome, but… well, it certainly could’ve been _better._ He really didn’t want to think about how behind he was going to be on his work once this all blew over. _If_ this all blew over. Actually, getting some sleep didn’t seem like a bad idea at all, suddenly. Right now. He let out a breath and turned on his heels.

“I’m... going to bed.” He said plainly. And he walked away.

“Oh, good night--” Molly called after, but he didn’t get to hear anything more as he closed the door behind him. And then… quiet. At this point, he wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d forgotten what it sounded like.

The guest room was… surprisingly neat, compared to the rest of the cabin. There was a window at the other end of the room, with a wonderful view of… trees. And more trees. Cozy. Sylvie slipped off his jacket (which could probably use some mending, now that he thought about it,) and left it on the table by the bed. It was chilly enough to keep his hoodie on, thankfully. He probably would’ve kept it anyway. At least that would’ve been something familiar. 

Placing his glasses to the side, he climbed into bed, trying to make himself comfortable. He wasn’t, but it was worth an attempt. Hopefully he was tired enough that it wouldn’t make a difference. What were those breathing exercises he used to talk about again…? He closed his eyes. Right.

In, hold, out. 

In, hold, out. 

In, hold...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOO, we've done it gamers. This chapter was a pain to write, but thank you guys so much for waiting. I rewrote this chapter FIVE TIMES, but honestly, I'm super glad I did. And also, a big thank you to everyone who's been leaving comments! It was a huge help during the editing process, so just know that I see you, and I appreciate it so so much. :') Updates from here on may be a bit more sporadic, but I'm not giving up just yet! Thanks for stickin' around, and see you next chapter!


	6. Not Okay, Together.

It was dark. Too dark. Away from the bright lights of the city, the dark was… unsettling. Different. Normally, Sylvie would have a night light in the corner or _something_ for when things were just a bit too much. But that wasn’t exactly a luxury he had right now. Because he wasn’t home. He was in some cabin in the woods because he made one _stupid_ decision and got himself tangled up in a robbery. A liability. 

He was lying in bed. Staring at the ceiling, blankets half kicked off… a mess. He wasn’t sure why this was so difficult. It wasn’t that he wasn’t tired-- quite the opposite, really. It was the kind of exhaustion that you could practically feel, weighing your body down with its mere presence. And yet, every time he tried to close his eyes, time would slow to a crawl, and… nothing. Sylvie rubbed his eyes, turning onto his side. 

Maybe he was just restless. Being in a new place could be that way, sometimes. Maybe it was the way the cabin seemed to creak as the wind blew. Maybe it was the unusual quiet. Maybe, maybe, maybe. He couldn’t keep pretending like he didn’t know. He could deal with the anxiety. He did it every day. But, now? It wasn’t just that. Anxiety didn’t leave him feeling hollow, unnatural. It was like everything was displaced. Tilted. _Wrong._

He dragged his pillow over his face, letting out a muffled groan. There had to have been something he could have done differently. He could have been a little faster, a little smarter, done _something_ that wasn’t… _that._ But he didn’t, and he messed up, and he had to deal with the consequences. He just wished that he would _shut up_ about it. But every time he closed his eyes, it played back again and again, and every time he tried to distract himself it just kept _coming back._ Fragments. It was the broken crates, or the sting of glass against skin, or the malice in her voice as she reached out and--

Sylvie shoved the pillow away, sitting up sharply. He couldn’t keep doing this. He took a breath, picking up his glasses from the side table… then slid off the side of the bed. If his body was going to refuse to sleep, then he might as well do something. Carefully, he made his way around the room, taking caution to not step on any noisy floorboards-- or knock something over in the dark. Pushing his glasses onto his face, he quietly pushed the door open, reminding himself to push it open just enough to step through, no more, no less. Any further would probably risk creaking. Once he was confident that the coast was clear, he made his way out.

Everyone was probably asleep by now, (or at least he hoped,) so whatever he was going to do, he would have to stay quiet. He made his way down the hall, keeping his steps deliberate. He probably should have thought about what he was doing before he left. Maybe he could find a book to read somewhere. Though, scrounging around in the dark like that was bound to bring some unwanted attention. Whatever. Sitting alone in the dark would do just fine too.

“...Sylvie?”

Sylvie froze. It was quiet enough that he could’ve missed it, but it was undoubtedly a voice. Squinting through the darkness, he scanned the room until his eyes fell on a shape on the couch across the room. He tilted his head. Was that…?

“Molly?” He whispered back. There was a pause, then… a faint, green glow began emanating from her spot on the couch, a gentle aura that slowly began to surround the area around her. An intentional hush fell across the room. She looked… tired. After a moment of concentration, she looked up, motioning for him to join her. She must’ve been using her epithet. Checking behind himself one more time, Sylvie nodded and made his way over, sitting on the couch beside her.

“What are you doing up?” He asked. Molly faltered for a moment, but smiled noncommittally. 

“Oh, I’m… usually up this late.” She said with a shrug. “I have to be up around this time for work and stuff.” Sylvie raised an eyebrow. 

“You mean… homework?” He asked. Molly made a face.

“...Yeah. Homework.” She said. Sylvie stayed silent as Molly furrowed her brow. He felt like something else lay under the tone of her voice, but...

“What about you? Are you okay?” Molly asked, tilting her head. 

“I’m uh... I’m fine.” He said, crossing his arms. “Just... tired.” He closed his eyes. Chances were, he probably wasn’t going to get any sleep any time soon. It was fine-- he’d dealt with all-nighters before, but… not like this. But it didn’t matter. He’d just… make himself busy until morning, and he’d deal with it later. 

“...You don’t have to lie about it, Sylvie.” Sylvie blinked as Molly spoke, looking over as she crossed her legs underneath her.

“I… what?” He stammered.

“I mean… you don’t look okay. It looks like something’s bothering you.” She said. “You can talk to me, if you want.” Sylvie opened his mouth, eyes flicking over Molly’s face, searching for a hint of ingenuity, but… he shook his head.

“N-no, it’s fine. Everything’s fine.” He said quickly. “I-it’s no big deal. Don’t worry.”

“ _Sylvie._ ” He looked up with a start as Molly placed a hand on his arm, her eyes intense. “You don’t have to push me away. I know I didn’t go through what you did, but…” Her gaze softened, concern laced through her words. “I’m here for you. _We’re_ here for _each other._ ” She smiled gently. “It’s what friends do.” Sylvie remained speechless, the fabric of his hoodie clenched tightly in-between his fingers. He bit his tongue, his mind racing for excuses. Even still, he couldn’t ignore that he _wanted_ to talk. Normally, he was good enough at keeping quiet and holding his own, but this time was… different. He looked back towards Molly. She looked worried, yes, but it wasn’t _patronizing,_ like how he had come to expect. She _cared._ And, well… Sylvie trusted her. 

“...Okay.” He took a deep breath. “I guess I… couldn’t sleep.” He laughed bitterly. “Kind of ironic, huh? I just kept remembering what happened. Every time I tried to focus on sleep, it just… kept coming back. And all I could think of is what I could’ve done-- that I could’ve done _better._ But instead…” He scowled. “I messed up. All that training and studying and I couldn’t even do that right.”

“Sylvie, you did the best you could--” Molly said, but Sylvie was insistent.

“But what is _that_ worth? It wasn’t even just that, I couldn’t even see through her lying to my _face._ ” He protested. “Molly, you could’ve gotten _seriously hurt._ If that lady had stuck around, then…” He squeezed his eyes shut. “I wouldn’t have been able to do anything. You _know_ what my epithet can do, but along with her own…” He pressed his palm against his head, letting out a breath. “All I did was make things worse.” He gripped his arms tightly, trying to ignore the stirring in his chest. Already, he could feel his mind racing with memories he was trying to _avoid._ Maybe this was a bad idea. He shouldn’t have expected anything different-- he should’ve kept his mouth shut like he always did. This would’ve never happened.

“I know it might not seem like it right now, but…” Molly met his eyes. “It’s not right to blame yourself for what happened. You did everything that you could. If anyone’s at fault here, it’s not you, no matter what went wrong.” She placed a hand on his shoulder. “I wasn’t lying when I said I would be here for you. And even if you don’t think so, I bet the others feel the same way. Me, Giovanni, the Blasters-- everyone. We’re gonna do everything we can to help. We’re in this together, remember?” She offered him a smile. 

Sylvie looked at her with uncertainty. Molly seemed genuine enough, but… he wasn’t sure he could trust the Banzai Blasters. Giovanni seemed happy to help, but something in him doubted that their intentions were _really_ that simple. They probably only had him along out of _pity_ if he were to guess . And even still, this wasn’t _Molly’s_ issue. He couldn’t just put that burden on her-- hell, he’d already done enough. Why would he make it _worse?_ He let out a breath. For now…

“O- of course.” He forced a smile. “Thank you, Molly. I… I appreciate it.”

And Molly smiled back. And Sylvie kept his mouth shut. And the quiet returned. Heavy as it always was, but… more bearable, this time. But with silence came room for thought, and well… he wasn’t exactly keen on being alone with his thoughts again. So he watched. The shadows flickered against the walls restlessly as the wind began to pick up outside. It was probably about to start raining. But… something else caught his attention. Molly. She seemed almost intentionally distracted, fiddling aimlessly with her hands as she stared out of the window. And well, more than anything, she just looked… exhausted. 

…

“Hey, Molly?” Sylvie said, and she looked up with a small start.

“Yeah?” She said. She looked almost as if she wasn’t expecting him to speak.

“We’re friends, right?” He asked, “I mean… we can talk to each other?” 

“Of course! Anything you need.” Molly said, that quiet smile finding its way onto her face again. “Then…” He turned to her. “Why are you _really_ awake, Molly?”

She froze. Sylvie’s eyes softened. He knew something was up. Molly didn’t hide her exhaustion very well.

“...You could tell, huh?” Molly said softly. Sylvie nodded.  
“You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to, but…” He paused, choosing his words carefully. “I just want to make sure you’re alright.” Molly looked down towards her feet, kicking idly.

“No, it’s okay.” She folded her hands in her lap. “I just…” She closed her eyes.  
“I…” She mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper. “...had a nightmare.” 

“Ah.” He said, nodding his head slowly. That would make sense, given well… about everything within the past 24 hours. “Would you like to talk about it?” Molly paused, her brow furrowed in silence. Her eyes wandered aimlessly about the floor, thinking. For a moment, Sylvie thought she wouldn’t respond, but eventually, she took a deep breath. “I had a dream about… my mom. And… how she died.”

“I-it was about two years ago. It was just kind of another day, you know? Everyone was fine and things were… pretty much normal. But then in the middle of the night, there was… a house fire.” Oh. Molly gripped at the hem of her skirt, her shoulders tensed as she spoke. Even though the room was completely dark, Sylvie could see her eyes glittering as she held back tears. She took a quiet breath. “When I woke up, all I could hear was fire alarms and shouting and people running around… It was all so much.” 

She brought the palm of her hand up to her eyes, rubbing away the tears before they could roll down her cheeks. Sylvie’s hand tensed at his side. He stayed quiet-- it wasn’t his place to talk, he knew, but he couldn’t ignore the pit of dread growing in his stomach. Molly continued. “Everything was kind of a blur after that, but after everything… my mom didn’t come out. Dad was really cagey about it afterward, but…” She sighed. “I knew what happened.” 

“Oh, Molly…” Sylvie said quietly. “I’m sorry, I… I had no idea.” Immediately, he remembered their first meeting at the museum and-- he… he really messed up.

“It’s okay. You couldn’t have known.” Molly said. “I guess it just kind of... came back to me again, is all.”

“But it’s _not._ ” 

Sylvie’s tone turned firm, and she looked up with surprise. “We can’t just-- _I_ can’t just pretend like it’s okay. I really hurt you, and I need to take accountability for that.” He continued, meeting her gaze. “I know it’s not much but... I’ll make it up to you somehow. I promise.” Molly blinked, surprised. She paused for a beat, uncertain.

“Oh.” She took a deep breath. “I-if you really want to, then… Thank you.”

Sylvie smiled. “Of course. It would be the least I could do.” He knew that it probably wouldn’t make it better-- he wasn’t even sure that he _could_ make it better. But Molly was his friend, and he wanted to at least _try._ Still, though, he didn’t know what he could do. He’d messed it up before they even had the chance to _talk_ to each other. By all means, she shouldn’t like him, but...

“Sylvie?” Molly said quietly, snapping him out of his train of thought. “If it’s not a bother, do you think… you could stay here?” He paused.

“Oh-- yeah.” Sylvie said. “Of course I can. Did you need anything?”

“No, I just…” Molly turned to lean against the arm of the couch. “...I don’t want to be alone, is all.” Sylvie nodded, pulling his knees up to his chest. “That’s okay. I’ll be here.” Quiet drops of rain began plucking against the window. The storm had arrived.

“Goodnight, Sylvie.” Molly said quietly. He closed his eyes.

“Goodnight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Every day I [thinks about these two and Cries]  
> I think I can safely say we've reached the end of the opening bit of the fic! We're gettin' there gamers! I'll see ya in the next chapter! :3c


End file.
